Chicago O’Hare Expects Strong Summer, Seeks Return To 2019 Traffic Levels

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is setting the stage for a vibrant summer season as it eyes a significant rebound in passenger traffic, aiming to match or exceed the bustling pre-pandemic era of 2019. With an encouraging recovery trajectory observed in 2023, where ORD saw an 8.1% increase in passenger volume over 2022, reaching 87.3% of its 2019 traffic levels with 73.9 million passengers, optimism is high for the upcoming travel season.

Despite a noticeable gap from the 2019 benchmark, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), managing both ORD and Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), anticipates a “sustained” growth trajectory into 2024. This expectation is bolstered by Midway’s performance, which not only recovered but surpassed its 2019 figures in the first half of 2023, handling 22 million passengers for the full year—a 5.5% increase over 2019.

A key driver for O’Hare’s anticipated summer surge is the expanding air service diversity and frequency, as highlighted by CDA Commissioner Jamie Rhee. Scheduled departures for July 2024 are projected to reach 97% of the levels seen in July 2019, with international destinations increasing to 67, up from 65 in the same period in 2019.

United Airlines, leveraging ORD as a pivotal hub, plans to operate 175 routes, including 15 European airports—up from nine in summer 2019. The airline’s published flight schedules signal a positive seat capacity trend for 2024, showcasing an increase of up to 4% in peak summer months compared to 2019.

Adding to the international connectivity, United Airlines is set to commence daily summer seasonal service to Athens from May 23, alongside new daily services to Winnipeg and Quebec City. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific is enhancing its ORD-Hong Kong frequencies, and ITA Airways will introduce its largest ever Italian destination offering from O’Hare in 2024, including a new service to Rome Fiumicino Airport. American Airlines will join the fray with daily summer seasonal flights between ORD and Venice starting June 5.

Chicago O’Hare’s ambitious outlook for 2024, underscored by strategic route expansions and enhanced international reach, underscores its commitment to not only recovering lost ground since the pandemic but also setting a new benchmark in air travel connectivity and service diversity.